Glycine transporter

Abstract

Provided are, among other things, nucleic acid sequences encoding the GlyT1d form of glycine transporter, vectors, methods of producing the transporter, and methods for identifying bioactive agents.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for the analysis of or screening for an agent that is an enhancer or inhibitor of glycine transport, the method comprising: (a) providing a first and second assay composition comprising isolated host cells expressing an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a glycine transporter protein, wherein the encoded glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 or an amino acid sequence that has six or fewer amino acid changes relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2; (b) contacting the first assay composition with the agent and; (c) measuring the amount of glycine transport exhibited by the first assay composition as compared with the second assay composition that has not been contacted with the agent, in order to screen for the enhancement or inhibition of glycine transport. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1 , wherein the encoded glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence that has three or fewer amino acid changes relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  1 , wherein the encoded glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence that has one amino acid change relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  1 , wherein the encoded glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       5. A purified glycine transporter protein comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 or an amino acid sequence that has six or fewer amino acid changes relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       6. The purified glycine transporter protein of claim  5 , wherein the glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence that has three or fewer amino acid changes relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       7. The purified glycine transporter protein of claim  5 , wherein the glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence that has one amino acid change relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       8. The purified glycine transporter protein of claim  5 , wherein the glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       9. A composition comprising isolated membranes obtained from heterologous host cells expressing an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a glycine transporter protein, wherein the encoded glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 or an amino acid sequence that has six or fewer amino acid changes relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       10. The encoded glycine transporter protein of claim  9 , wherein the glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence that has three or fewer amino acid changes relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       11. The encoded glycine transporter protein of claim  9 , wherein the glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence that has one amino acid change relative to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
       12. The encoded glycine transporter protein of claim  9 , wherein the glycine transporter protein comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2.